Does Shingles Increase Your Chances of Developing Cancer?

by | Jan 14, 2020 | Shingles | 0 comments

After many years of speculation into the relationship between cancer and shingles, a study published in 2012 claims that developing shingles does not increase your chances of getting cancer later on in life. The researchers looked at 36000 Taiwanese adults who had shingles and found their risk of cancer to be on par with the rest of the population. Because so many people have had chicken pox, shingles is a reality of life or most. Studies have shown that the most effective way to reduce the pain and shorten the length of the illness is to get medical treatment as soon as possible. Las Vegas medical clinics can provide you with the treatment you need to recover quickly.

Shingles is a reactivation of the chicken pox virus and usually flares up in people with weakened immune systems, the elderly, and also in some cancer patients. A few years ago, doctors suspected that people with shingles could have a higher chance of undiagnosed cancer or of developing cancer later in their lives. The findings of the study, which were published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, found that this was not the case.

It was the first study to focus on Asian people because in Taiwan people with shingles are still exposed to more cancer screening than people who do not have it. The results show that the additional testing may not be necessary in Taiwan, and doctors in the US do not screen shingles patients for cancer any more.

Theoretically, the researchers argue that shingles sufferers have an elevated chance of developing cancer as a weak immune system may not be able to ward off cancerous cells. The decision to base the study in an Asian country was also supported by the fact that most previous studies had come from Western countries. Currently, statistics show that around 25 per cent of people will experience an outbreak of shingles, with the vaccine being recommended for everyone over the age of 60. The vaccine can lower your chances of developing shingles by more than 50 per cent and make the side effects milder in the event that you have an outbreak after being vaccinated.

Ideally, people who come down with shingles symptoms should get antiviral treatment within 72 hours. Low cost clinics in Las Vegas can provide efficient medication to manage your case of shingles and help you to recover in the fastest time possible.